How To Fix A Low Flame On A Gas Grill (30 Second Fix!)

In this article we’ll show you how to fix a low flame on a gas grill in less than a minute. You'll want to bookmark this article now because it might just save your dinner one night!

You’re all set to grill up some frozen burger patties or a delicious steak for dinner. You’ve fired up your grill but you can’t see any flame or there’s hardly any flame at all and your bbq won’t heat up past 200 degrees or so.

You shake your head and think to yourself, “Why does my gas grill have a low flame?”

Don’t sweat it. We've all been there and there's a super easy fix that will work 99 percent of the time.

First Try The Obvious Fixes

Is your propane tank empty? Is the valve opened? Are the grill burners turned on?

You might think this sounds silly but you’d be surprised how often the most obvious solutions are what works. Just take minute and confirm there’s gas in the tank and everything is turned on. If you still can’t see a flame or it’s only a very low flame it’s likely that…

The Excess Flow Valve Safety Mechanism Tripped

The excess flow valve is one of those quiet safety features you only notice when it gets in your way, but it’s there to prevent a dangerous gas release and save your butt if something goes wrong.

Inside the tank’s service valve is a small, spring-loaded device that monitors how fast propane is leaving the tank. Under normal use, gas flows at a steady and controlled rate. But if the flow suddenly spikes...like if a hose snaps, disconnects, or develops a major leak, the valve closes and restricts the flow to a tiny trickle.

The most common way grillers run into this problem is by opening the valve too fast or turning on the grill's burners before opening the valve. That sudden flow of gas is enough to trip the safety mechanism and you're left with weak flames and a grill that won't get hot.

But good news!! This is an easy problem to fix and you don't even need any tools...

Best Practices

It’s important to follow the right lighting procedures when firing up your propane grill.

• Step 1 – If your grill has a lid, open it completely to keep gas from building up and igniting when you light it.
• Step 2 – Slowly turn the valve on the propane tank counterclockwise to open.
• Step 3 – Turn the first burner on high.
• Step 4 – Push the ignitor button to light the initial burner.
• Step 5 – Turn on all burners and allow the cooking surface to heat before cooking.

When you’re finished cooking you want to follow the steps in reverse. Always turn off the burners first and then close the valve on the propane tank.

Following these simple steps will ensure a safe flow of gas to your grill and prevent you from accidentally tripping the safety mechanism on your propane regulator which limits gas flow and results in little or no flame.